Regulatory and Product Liability Practices: Siloed No More
January 01, 2017
In the field of product liability law, the silo phenomenon — in which different departments of an organization decline to share information with other departments of the same organization or field — is puzzling, since there have been several examples of situations where additional regulation has resulted in additional litigation.
Are You Your Tenant's Keeper?<br><font size="-1"><b><i>Maintaining BFP Status in the Face of PACA Liens</b></i></font>
January 01, 2017
In September 2016, a national title company invoked the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) when it raised an exception on a title commitment for the sale of real property upon which a grocery store was a tenant. The title company asked the owner to execute an affidavit and indemnity in the title company's favor with regard to any PACA liens incurred by the tenant. This new exception has elicited a fair amount of confusion as to why an 86-year-old statute would suddenly present a cloud on title.
Data Breach Lawsuit Highlights the Need for Diligence when Purchasing Cyberinsurance
January 01, 2017
Well-known restaurant chain, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, recently sustained a significant hit to its cyberinsurance coverage. The federal court's opinion in the case serves as a lesson to policyholders regarding cyberinsurance in a rapidly evolving market. Due diligence is the name of the game when placing such insurance in order to understand the scope of coverage.
Liability Exposure When Experts Flub
January 01, 2017
In civil litigation, when retained or testifying experts err materially, causing a case or settlement loss, do they get some kind of immunity so that access to experts is not "chilled" by allowing experts to be sued frequently? The answer to this question is not so easy.
Managing Product Liability Litigation
January 01, 2017
Relationship building between in-house and outside attorneys is key to managing a product liability lawsuit. Trust is the core of the relationship.
Liability Exposure When Experts Flub
January 01, 2017
In civil litigation, when retained or testifying experts err materially, causing a case or settlement loss, do they get some kind of immunity so that access to experts is not "chilled" by allowing experts to be sued frequently? The answer to this question is not so easy.<p><b><i>Part One of a Two-Part Article</b></i>
Equipment Financing Is on the Rise
January 01, 2017
According to the recently released U.S. Equipment Finance Market Study 2016-2017, conducted for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, 78% of respondents used at least one form of financing when acquiring equipment in FY 2015. This is up from 72% of respondents from the previous Foundation market study released in 2012, and represents an increase in the overall propensity to finance.
Design Defects at the CT Supreme Court
January 01, 2017
<b><i>A Doctrine In Flux</b></i><p>The big product-liability news at the Connecticut Supreme Court in 2016 was undoubtedly <i>Izzarelli v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco</i>, a decision that refined Connecticut's standards for design-defect product-liability claims. But the decision may turn out to be even more notable for what it portends.
The Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine
December 01, 2016
<b><i>Briseno v. ConAgra</b></i><p>The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) has historically allowed prosecutors to charge corporate employees with misdemeanors without having to prove personal participation or wrongful intent. But, as the use of the statute has become more frequent and penalties have gotten more severe, the constitutionality of such an application of the FDCA has come under heightened scrutiny.
